Every nation has a distinct culture and are often influenced by religion. For East Asian countries, they are mainly Confucianism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Due to their disparate culture, they differ in what values they emphasize the most. They also differ in how they define a team and how it should function. Thus, business styles will differ across cultures.
To make successful negotiations, one should understand how direct or how formal people generally are from a particular culture. East Asian countries, Japan, Korea, and China in particular, show how knowing their culture is crucial in making a successful business.
Japan
As presented from the cartoon above, they often have a hard time refusing by saying ‘no’ by saying things like ‘I’ll think about it.’ They may also take a long period of time remaining silent. These actions are due to their value in harmony.
Their way of decision-making is called "Nemawashi" (Japanese Business Etiquette). In Japanese, it means an informal process driven for a change. What is different from the way other countries make decisions is that the participants draw conclusions after seeing the information presented at the meeting. This is done in order to gain agreement from people in advance and keep relationships harmonious. It leaves room for any adjustments. However, this can often be a problem when they are used in politics. People fear that decisions will be made behind the scenes. This is considered to be far from democracy.
As much as they value harmony, they try to go through as less disputes as possible. In order to do this, they make broad agreements so that they can be handled flexibly in the future. Raising one’s temper and showing impatience will be the worst thing to show a Japanese when negotiating.
Some of the strengths of the Japanese are that they are great note-takers. They will be able to note-take every suggestion or idea the negotiator makes and will thus be able to catch whether the negotiator is making a different suggestion or telling a different story. However, their weakness is that they are bad at writing a business plan.
Even though they are not that of a fast-paced culture like Korea, Japanese businessmen often waits for a response or decision made in twenty-four hours.
Korea
It is well known that Korea is so fast-paced with that Palli Palli (빨리빨리) attitude. "The 'palli-palli' philosophy is fairly unique in my experience. But I find that it has very positive consequences for work and for the simple business of efficiency. You certainly don't have to wait very long to get things done in Korea -- it makes life a lot easier" says the former ambassador of McDonald (Korean Business). This shows how one will need to pace themselves when negotiating if they feel they are going to slow as Koreans generally do not like it being slow-paced. Also, it contributes to the importance of punctuality. However, Korean business people are very busy with tight schedules and will therefore have times when they would not be on time.
Confucianism has played a great role in shaping Korea’s culture. Its value in age, family, and seniority has made great influence in how people treat each other. Korea is known to be more heavily influenced by the Confucian values than any other business culture. Thus there are important manners considering them.
One should address people by their title or family name. Unlike most western countries, first names are not used right away. They can be used once a relationship has been established and until the Korean initi ates a change, it is wise to not call them their first name. Also, often times a senior member sits at the end or the front of the table. Therefore one should enter the room first and should sit at the middle of the table. This also shows the importance Koreans give on relationships.
A first meeting with a Korean does not often lead to any kind of decision. First meetings are done to get to know each other rather than for things business-related. Koreans generally think that an agreeable deal can be made for both sides once they become close to each other.
Foreign executives often say that it is much more effective in creating a friendly and positive feeling than to be just logical to make a successful agreement. Because of the Korean’s value in relationship, business would be made easier if one is more close to the person and this only works if the Korean thinks about oneself in a good way.
China
China also has great influence from Confucianism in their business practices. They try to minimize any kind of disputes as much as possible and remain harmony. What is distinct about them is their significance in preserving a 'face.' In China, it is very important to give, save, and show face when doing business.
Due to their emphasis on harmony from their Confucius belief, the Chinese often maintain an impassive expression when speaking. For instance, they will have a frown while the negotiator is talking if they have a disagreement or the Chinese will simply stay quiet. It is often considered disrespectful to stare at another person's eye. This is to give the negotiator privacy.
There are four ways in which a face is presented. The first one is where one's face is lessoned after an action and being exposed. This is called Diu-mian-zi. The loss of face is because it is ma de into public knowledge. It is not necessarily the result of their action made. The second one is called Gei-mian-zi. It is when the face is given to the other person with reverence and compliments. The third face is when it i shows wisdom. It is called Liu-mian-zi. This means that it is shown by aging and having experience. If one is able to show their wisdom by being able to avoid unnecessary mistakes, their face will be increased. The last face is called Jiang-mian-zi. It is when it is increased by receiving compliments of others made about oneself through a third party.
Like both Korea and Japan, punctuality is vital. However, unlike Korea, being late to a meeting is considered to be an insult. Furthermore, showing deference and humility are the best strategies to make successful negotiations with a Chinese. This allows the Chinese negotiator to feel weaker and more desperate for a concession.
Unlike Korea, the Chinese tend to have a lack of urgency. This means that decisions will be made rather slowly and maybe delayed for a long period of time. Therefore patience is needed for negotiations to be completed as decisions maybe delayed either just because of their tendency to have a lack of urgency or because they have simultaneous negotiations taking place.
A lot of the businessmen from western countries should be aware in particular that the Chinese are not keen on physical contact. This especially includes when doing business. Actions like slapping or even patting on the Chinese negotiator's back may make the Chinese feel uncomfortable or even disrespectful.
Comparison
I found a lot of similarities of the business culture among Korea, Japan, and China. They were all first of all have derived their values from their influences of Confucianism. They all showed emphasis in harmony. Some of the actions they show due to these values are not being able to say 'no' for any suggestion and maintaining long periods of silence. People from Korea, Japan, and China take these actions as they are considerate of others, not wanting to show disrespect by disagreeing in what the negotiators say. However, these actions may bring up misunderstandings for the westerners. The reason being, they may assume that the Korean or the Japanese or the Chinese businessmen are satisfied with the suggestion they have made. They may be satisfied but often times when the Korean or the Japanese or the Chinese give unclear responses or show delay in their responses, often times it is because they do not like something about it.
Asian Studies Final Project Self-Evaluation
1. What did you contribute specifically to your project?
I first of all started researching about the general values that each of the countries consider to be most important. Then I started to search for specific business manners of each country. Then I tried to find a relation between a country's general culture and their business manners and found out how religion had a major role. I then wrote a script of business would be taken place in each of the countries and made a cartoon.
2. How successful do you think you conveyed your research to your audience?
I think that it was pretty successful conveying my research because I made clear on what each of the country's business manners are and on what factors influence it. Other than the information, I made a cartoon to help the viewers visualize some of the situations a businessmen might face in that particular country. This made my research more interesting and more effective in conveying the information.
3. What would have made your presentation more successful?
My presentation would have been more successful if I were able to use other media such as videos and had more interesting scripts used for the cartoons. It would also have been more successful if I cited the sources in a correct way. I should have cited my sources right beside or below the information that I have used.
4. How successful do you think your technology-based materials were in conveying your research?
My technology-based material catches the viewers attention more easily which means that the viewers will understand and be informed more effectively. Not only would the viewers be informed but would easily realize how it works out in real life.
5. What would have made your technology-based materials more successful?
Maybe if I had more experience using Toondoo, I would have known more backgrounds and characters that would better fit my script. It could have also been more successful if I were able to find a program for making cartoons that are better.
6. What did you learn from this project? Submit any other comments after this question.
From this project, I learned what to expect from people of different countries when confronting them and for business specifically. I also learned about the overall culture of Korea, Japan, and Korea, including their religion and dining etiquette.
Sources
"Asia - Asian Business Etiquette for China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan." International Business Etiquette, Culture, Manners and Geert Hofstede Cultural Analysis for Global Business Students & Managers. Web. 05 June 2011. <__http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/asia.htm__>.
"China - Chinese Business Etiquette, Manners, Cross Cultural Communication, and China Geert Hofstede Analysis." International Business Etiquette, Culture, Manners and Geert Hofstede Cultural Analysis for Global Business Students & Managers. Web. 12 June 2011. <http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/china.htm>.
"Japanese Business Etiquette." Japan Entry Corporation – Japan Market Entry, High-Tech Business Development Consulting, Executive Recruiting. Web. 12 June 2011. <http://www.japanentry.com/resources_etiquette.shtml>.
"Japan - Japanese Business Etiquette, Vital Manners, Cross Cultural Communication, and Japan's Geert Hofstede Analysis." International Business Etiquette, Culture, Manners and Geert Hofstede Cultural Analysis for Global Business Students & Managers. Web. 12 June 2011. <http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/japan.htm>.
Michelle B.
Every nation has a distinct culture and are often influenced by religion. For East Asian countries, they are mainly Confucianism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Due to their disparate culture, they differ in what values they emphasize the most. They also differ in how they define a team and how it should function. Thus, business styles will differ across cultures.
To make successful negotiations, one should understand how direct or how formal people generally are from a particular culture. East Asian countries, Japan, Korea, and China in particular, show how knowing their culture is crucial in making a successful business.
Japan
As presented from the cartoon above, they often have a hard time refusing by saying ‘no’ by saying things like ‘I’ll think about it.’ They may also take a long period of time remaining silent. These actions are due to their value in harmony.
Their way of decision-making is called "Nemawashi" (Japanese Business Etiquette). In Japanese, it means an informal process driven for a change. What is different from the way other countries make decisions is that the participants draw conclusions after seeing the information presented at the meeting. This is done in order to gain agreement from people in advance and keep relationships harmonious. It leaves room for any adjustments. However, this can often be a problem when they are used in politics. People fear that decisions will be made behind the scenes. This is considered to be far from democracy.
As much as they value harmony, they try to go through as less disputes as possible. In order to do this, they make broad agreements so that they can be handled flexibly in the future. Raising one’s temper and showing impatience will be the worst thing to show a Japanese when negotiating.
Some of the strengths of the Japanese are that they are great note-takers. They will be able to note-take every suggestion or idea the negotiator makes and will thus be able to catch whether the negotiator is making a different suggestion or telling a different story. However, their weakness is that they are bad at writing a business plan.
Even though they are not that of a fast-paced culture like Korea, Japanese businessmen often waits for a response or decision made in twenty-four hours.
Korea
It is well known that Korea is so fast-paced with that Palli Palli (빨리빨리) attitude. "The 'palli-palli' philosophy is fairly unique in my experience. But I find that it has very positive consequences for work and for the simple business of efficiency. You certainly don't have to wait very long to get things done in Korea -- it makes life a lot easier" says the former ambassador of McDonald (Korean Business). This shows how one will need to pace themselves when negotiating if they feel they are going to slow as Koreans generally do not like it being slow-paced. Also, it contributes to the importance of punctuality. However, Korean business people are very busy with tight schedules and will therefore have times when they would not be on time.
Confucianism has played a great role in shaping Korea’s culture. Its value in age, family, and seniority has made great influence in how people treat each other. Korea is known to be more heavily influenced by the Confucian values than any other business culture. Thus there are important manners considering them.
One should address people by their title or family name. Unlike most western countries, first names are not used right away. They can be used once a relationship has been established and until the Korean initi
ates a change, it is wise to not call them their first name. Also, often times a senior member sits at the end or the front of the table. Therefore one should enter the room first and should sit at the middle of the table. This also shows the importance Koreans give on relationships.
A first meeting with a Korean does not often lead to any kind of decision. First meetings are done to get to know each other rather than for things business-related. Koreans generally think that an agreeable deal can be made for both sides once they become close to each other.
Foreign executives often say that it is much more effective in creating a friendly and positive feeling than to be just logical to make a successful agreement. Because of the Korean’s value in relationship, business would be made easier if one is more close to the person and this only works if the Korean thinks about oneself in a good way.
China
China also has great influence from Confucianism in their business practices. They try to minimize any kind of disputes as much as possible and remain harmony. What is distinct about them is their significance in preserving a 'face.' In China, it is very important to give, save, and show face when doing business.
Due to their emphasis on harmony from their Confucius belief, the Chinese often maintain an impassive expression when speaking. For instance, they will have a frown while the negotiator is talking if they have a disagreement or the Chinese will simply stay quiet. It is often considered disrespectful to stare at another person's eye. This is to give the negotiator privacy.
There are four ways in which a face is presented. The first one is where one's face is lessoned after an action and being exposed. This is called Diu-mian-zi. The loss of face is because it is ma
de into public knowledge. It is not necessarily the result of their action made. The second one is called Gei-mian-zi. It is when the face is given to the other person with reverence and compliments. The third face is when it i shows wisdom. It is called Liu-mian-zi. This means that it is shown by aging and having experience. If one is able to show their wisdom by being able to avoid unnecessary mistakes, their face will be increased. The last face is called Jiang-mian-zi. It is when it is increased by receiving compliments of others made about oneself through a third party.
Like both Korea and Japan, punctuality is vital. However, unlike Korea, being late to a meeting is considered to be an insult. Furthermore, showing deference and humility are the best strategies to make successful negotiations with a Chinese. This allows the Chinese negotiator to feel weaker and more desperate for a concession.
Unlike Korea, the Chinese tend to have a lack of urgency. This means that decisions will be made rather slowly and maybe delayed for a long period of time. Therefore patience is needed for negotiations to be completed as decisions maybe delayed either just because of their tendency to have a lack of urgency or because they have simultaneous negotiations taking place.
A lot of the businessmen from western countries should be aware in particular that the Chinese are not keen on physical contact. This especially includes when doing business. Actions like slapping or even patting on the Chinese negotiator's back may make the Chinese feel uncomfortable or even disrespectful.
Comparison
I found a lot of similarities of the business culture among Korea, Japan, and China. They were all first of all have derived their values from their influences of Confucianism. They all showed emphasis in harmony. Some of the actions they show due to these values are not being able to say 'no' for any suggestion and maintaining long periods of silence. People from Korea, Japan, and China take these actions as they are considerate of others, not wanting to show disrespect by disagreeing in what the negotiators say. However, these actions may bring up misunderstandings for the westerners. The reason being, they may assume that the Korean or the Japanese or the Chinese businessmen are satisfied with the suggestion they have made. They may be satisfied but often times when the Korean or the Japanese or the Chinese give unclear responses or show delay in their responses, often times it is because they do not like something about it.
Asian Studies Final Project Self-Evaluation
1. What did you contribute specifically to your project?
I first of all started researching about the general values that each of the countries consider to be most important. Then I started to search for specific business manners of each country. Then I tried to find a relation between a country's general culture and their business manners and found out how religion had a major role. I then wrote a script of business would be taken place in each of the countries and made a cartoon.
2. How successful do you think you conveyed your research to your audience?
I think that it was pretty successful conveying my research because I made clear on what each of the country's business manners are and on what factors influence it. Other than the information, I made a cartoon to help the viewers visualize some of the situations a businessmen might face in that particular country. This made my research more interesting and more effective in conveying the information.
3. What would have made your presentation more successful?
My presentation would have been more successful if I were able to use other media such as videos and had more interesting scripts used for the cartoons. It would also have been more successful if I cited the sources in a correct way. I should have cited my sources right beside or below the information that I have used.
4. How successful do you think your technology-based materials were in conveying your research?
My technology-based material catches the viewers attention more easily which means that the viewers will understand and be informed more effectively. Not only would the viewers be informed but would easily realize how it works out in real life.
5. What would have made your technology-based materials more successful?
Maybe if I had more experience using Toondoo, I would have known more backgrounds and characters that would better fit my script. It could have also been more successful if I were able to find a program for making cartoons that are better.
6. What did you learn from this project? Submit any other comments after this question.
From this project, I learned what to expect from people of different countries when confronting them and for business specifically. I also learned about the overall culture of Korea, Japan, and Korea, including their religion and dining etiquette.
Sources
"Asia - Asian Business Etiquette for China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan." International Business Etiquette, Culture, Manners and Geert Hofstede Cultural Analysis for Global Business Students & Managers. Web. 05 June 2011. <__http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/asia.htm__>.
"Chinese Business Practices, Culture and Etiquette." Transformational Leadership Development. Web. 05 June 2011. <__http://www.legacee.com/Culture/CultureOverview.html__>.
"Etiquette in Asia." Web. <__http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiquette_in_Asia__>.
"China: Chinese Culture, Etiquette, Customs, Manners and Protocol." Professional Translation Services | Interpreters | Intercultural Communication & Training. Web. 05 June 2011. <__http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/china-country-profile.html__>.
"YouTube - Doing Business in Japan: Scene 2 - "I'll Think about It" ." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 10 June 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xntYVeCwIsE>.
"Japanese Business Culture and Doing Business in Japan." Doing Business in Japan How to Start Doing Business in Japan. Web. 05 June 2011. <__http://www.venturejapan.com/japanese-business-culture.htm__>.
"South Korea: Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette." Professional Translation Services | Interpreters | Intercultural Communication & Training. Web. 05 June 2011. <__http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/south-korea-country-profile.html__>.
"China - Chinese Business Etiquette, Manners, Cross Cultural Communication, and China Geert Hofstede Analysis." International Business Etiquette, Culture, Manners and Geert Hofstede Cultural Analysis for Global Business Students & Managers. Web. 12 June 2011. <http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/china.htm>.
"Korean Business Etiquette Tips | Foreign Translations, Inc." Global Language Translation Services | Foreign Translations, Inc. Web. 12 June 2011. <http://www.foreigntranslations.com/languages/korean-translation/korean-business-etiquette/>.
"Doing Business, Culture, Customs, Etiquette - Japan." Professional Translation Services | Interpreters | Intercultural Communication & Training. Web. 12 June 2011. <http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/japan-country-profiles.html>.
"Japanese Business Etiquette and Doing Business in Japan." Doing Business in Japan How to Start Doing Business in Japan. Web. 12 June 2011. <http://www.venturejapan.com/japanese-business-etiquette.htm>.
"Japanese Business Etiquette." Japan Entry Corporation – Japan Market Entry, High-Tech Business Development Consulting, Executive Recruiting. Web. 12 June 2011. <http://www.japanentry.com/resources_etiquette.shtml>.
"Doing Business in Japan - Work Etiquette." How to Behave in the Workplace at Work Etiquette (UK). Web. 12 June 2011. <http://www.worketiquette.co.uk/doing-business-in-japan.html>.
"Japanese Business Etiquette." Translation Services Company - Translation Quotes Available Online. Web. 12 June 2011. <http://www.appliedlanguage.com/translation/japanese_translation/introduction_to_japanese_world.aspx>.
"Japan - Japanese Business Etiquette, Vital Manners, Cross Cultural Communication, and Japan's Geert Hofstede Analysis." International Business Etiquette, Culture, Manners and Geert Hofstede Cultural Analysis for Global Business Students & Managers. Web. 12 June 2011. <http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/japan.htm>.
"Doing Business in South Korea." Web. <http://www.communicaid.com/cross-cultural-training/culture-for-business-and-management/doing-business-in/South-korean-business-and-social-culture.php>.